English Domestic Season 2021

Tim Bresnan is still going. And he’s 3 years younger than Jimmy Anderson

And following on from that, Steven Finn is still only 32

Durham 8/503 with no tons (top score 81)

a fair effort

Monster stand between Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson for Middlesex. Another reason for Burns and Hameed to be looking over their shoulders?

Surprised Robson in particular has never got another spin through the revolving door. He was no worse than anyone we’ve tried since. Though I’d have guessed he was about 27 or 28 rather than 32. As per a couple of posts above, he can’t be the same age as Finn, surely…

And talking of former (for now…) England openers, Dom Sibley back to what he does best, with a 160-ball 47 in a run “chase” for title-seeking Warwickshire. His apprentice Rob Yates has made a slightly less glacial 70* off 199 deliveries.

T20 Finals Day today. I know, I'm excited too.

Well, good to see some non-cancelled cricket, anyway.

Hampshire opening with Albert and Vince, which sounds like a ‘70s father and son sitcom duo… Window drops the key man on an early c&b chance, but - stop press - now has him at the second attempt and the Hawks in a pickle.

Tymal Mills building up a head of steam.

So, farewell Daryl Mitchell, backbone of WCCC for well over a decade. Now to become full-time CEO at the PCA.

No congratulations for the Bears then, Basil?

As my second team, good to see them sneak it in a tight contest after Notts fell away. Lancs get another shot in the Bob next week, though rain threatens.

Warks worthy winners of Div.1 overall. Produced the goods, solid enough in batting and bowling, and had no serious stutter or stutters in the last laps - unlike the others.


Although the powers that be snapped the spine of the CC season (it felt like two mini-seasons), they did somehow contrive a close and exciting finish, with four out of six counties in with a shout going into the last round of Div.1 matches, Yorkshire narrowly excluded. Only Zumms managed to subside pretty comprehensively in the second of the mini-seasons.

It gave an impression that they were making it up a bit as they went along, although I suppose the format, points system and chances were made clear to the counties at some stage (they escaped me).

So where does that leave us for next season? Same again? As you were? How many divisions? Who goes into which division, and why? Promotion and relegation? On the basis of the last 4/5 matches alone? wtf ~ ~ ~

Anyone here have a link that answers those questions? ...

www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com

Ha!

Despite the number of 200s it was a good season for the
bolwers, so many taking dozens for under 20 average,
including antiques like stevens and murtagh.

It was a very close contest in the end, if hants had taken the
last lancs wiket they would have been champs. I read on
the net that if the points from all the matches are totaled,
then notts would have won with 219, then lancs and essex,
and warwicks  come 4th!

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:No congratulations for the Bears then, Basil?

As my second team, good to see them sneak it in a tight contest after Notts fell away. Lancs get another shot in the Bob next week, though rain threatens.

A decidedly underwhelming season. Apart from Libby there was no consistent heavy scorer, although it was good to see Ed Barnard move up the order.

And to top it all, I'm hearing a suggestion that Ben Cox might be on his way, despite signing a two year extension on his contract earlier this year.

County Championship reverts to the two-division format. And they’ve wound back the clock to 2019, so Notts who came within a gnat’s chuff of winning it this year are relegated to D2.

Azeem Rafiq saga gets uglier by the day. Gary Ballance admits to being one of the players who used racial slurs to him as “banter between friends”. Apparently the report admonished Rafiq himself for calling Ballance “Zimbo”, which is not an established slur as far as I’m aware.

Cabinet minister Sajid Javid gets involved and says, from his personal experience, the P-word is not “banter”. Most sensible thing said by a Tory for some time. Meanwhile sponsors abandon Yorkshire while the board remains silent.

Yorkshire now suspended from hosting England matches and other major games which presumably includes T20 knockout matches.

Basil wrote:Yorkshire now suspended from hosting England matches and other major games which presumably includes T20 knockout matches.

And the Hundred, so the Northern Superchargers will presumably have to up sticks to Durham as it stands.

With what it’s going to cost them, there has to be a chance of bankruptcy here. And entirely self-inflicted.

Ballance banned from England selection, not that he’d been picked for four years anyway. Seemingly no suggestions of current England players or coaches being implicated.

Yorkshire's handling of the affair has been utterly inept and their senior management need to resign en masse.

Yeah, a complete shitshow and they have to realise they face oblivion unless they have a clear-out and reform. Obviously English cricket needs Yorkshire but not in the form of the club it appears to be right now. Could be a case of dissolve and re-form via a few years in Minor Counties.

Michael Vaughan now implicated as well in terms of historic racist comments, though denying the allegations against him.

If Yorkshire continue to drag their feet, demoting them to Div 2 in the championship should be an option.

Basil wrote:If Yorkshire continue to drag their feet, demoting them to Div 2 in the championship should be an option.

I’ll second that as a Notts supporter They’d probably consider that a fairly minor punishment compared to losing Tests etc. though.

And while losing the Tests, the 16.4 etc. hits them in the pocket big time, it’s the local supporters who really lose out.

Then it's the supporters / members who need to demand an EGM to sweep away the current management.

It’s a hell of a mess.  Vaughan looks set to lose his media career, at least for a while especially now that one of the supposed witnesses Rana appears to have corroborated Azeem’s story.

Ballance is f@cked, I would guess.

For English forummers - are there be any circumstances where the use of the ‘P’ word by a Caucasian to a South Asian may be described as banter?  

I do know that the ‘N’ word in the US is a no go for anyone who’s not black and there are no extenuating circumstances whatsoever. Mayyyyyybe if you’re Latino but probably even then very very rarely, and even then certainly not publicly I’d imagine.

So for the official report to say that the ‘P’ word was ‘banter in context’, or something such, is mind boggling to me.

I could be wrong though, don’t much understand cultural nuances over there.